Rookie guard Jalen Suggs underwent surgery last week on his right ankle, according to the Magic, who announced in a press release that the procedure repaired a “slight” stress fracture in the ankle.
The team didn’t announce an exact recovery timeline for Suggs, but said he’s expected to resume basketball activities this summer and make a full recovery by the start of training camp in the fall.
“In assessing Jalen’s right ankle at the conclusion of the season, and consulting with multiple doctors, we came to the determination to undergo this preventative measure,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “We feel by addressing this now Jalen can still have a productive summer leading into training camp.”
It’s unclear how the injury might have affected Suggs’ play in his rookie year. He missed time due to a right ankle sprain and a right ankle bone bruise in the second half of the season.
The No. 5 pick in last year’s draft, Suggs had perhaps the most underwhelming rookie season of any player selected in the top 10, averaging 11.8 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.6 RPG with a subpar .361/.214/.773 shooting line in 48 games (27.2 MPG). Besides the ankle issue, the former Gonzaga standout also dealt with a fractured right thumb that cost him 20 games in December and January.
Suggs is still just 20 years old and was highly regarded coming out of college, so the Magic certainly still view him as an important part of their future and will look for him to take a step forward in his second season. It doesn’t sound as if his 2022/23 debut will be delayed at all by last week’s surgery.
Not a lot of luck with injuries on this squad. Hard to evaluate talent when they miss so much time.